As the 1990’s began, the hair metal era of music began to decline sharply and a new sound was quickly making itself known ushering in the grunge era. Bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam were at the forefront of the Seattle sound that would come to define a new era in music history. Drummer Patty Schemel found herself in the middle of it all becoming close friends with the late Kurt Cobain and his wife Courtney Love and ultimately making a career in music as the drummer for Love’s alternative rock band Hole. How she arrived at the top and her downslide into drug addiction is the topic of her recently published memoir, “Hit So Hard.”
Struggling to find her place in this world, Schemel was a rebellious teen fighting to become comfortable with herself and her own sexuality. The drums would become her weapon of choice and a outlet for her anger. After delving into alcohol at the young age of eleven, Patty wound up trying everything and anything over the years eventually becoming addicted to heroin. Despite Hole being in the throes of commercial success, Schemel’s addiction began its tight grip on her life especially after Cobain’s death. Having grown up with her parents hosting AA meetings in the family home, Patty was no stranger to the twelve steps and she would go through the cycle of getting clean and falling back into old habits time and time again. She would ultimately lose it all, her position in the band, her money, and even her home. After many more attempts at rehab and many more rock bottoms, Schemel is back on track with her life. Her long term sobriety has allowed her a second chance at life, finding love with her wife and child, and experiencing a renewed love for the drums.
“Hit So Hard” is an engrossing read which offers an inside glimpse into the world of addiction and the horrific effects it has not only on the addict but on all those around them. With the opioid crisis in America continuing to grow, Schemel’s story is the harsh reality that so many people are living right now. The book also gives some great insight into the inner workings of the Seattle music scene at the onset of grunge making it a must read not only for those who know someone struggling with addiction but for music fans as well.
